Post-Communion Hymn of the Divine Liturgy Εἴδομεν τὸ φῶς τὸ ἀληθινόν, ἐλάβομεν Πνεῦμα ἐπουράνιον, εὓρομεν πίστιν ἀληθῆ, ἀδιαίρετον Τριάδα προσκυνοῦντες· αὕτη γὰρ ἡμᾶς ἔσωσεν. We have seen the true light, we have received the heavenly Spirit, we have found the true faith, worshipping the undivided Trinity, which has saved us. It is not by chance that this hymn, which is dedicated to the Holy Spirit and is derived from the vespers service of Pentecost Sunday, is chanted after Holy Communion on most Sunday and weekday Divine Liturgies of the Church year. St Gregory Palamas illuminates us in his twenty-fourth homily [...]

From the Lauds (Αίνοι) of Pascha   Πάσχα ἱερὸν ἡμῖν σήμερον ἀναδέδεικται, Πάσχα καινόν, Ἅγιον, Πάσχα μυστικόν, Πάσχα πανσεβάσμιον, Πάσχα Χριστὸς ὁ λυτρωτής, Πάσχα ἄμωμον, Πάσχα μέγα, Πάσχα τῶν πιστῶν, Πάσχα, τὸ πύλας ἡμῖν τοῦ Παραδείσου ἀνοῖξαν, Πάσχα, πάντας ἁγιάζον πιστούς. A sacred Pascha has been revealed to us today, a new and holy Pascha, a mystic Pascha, an allvenerable Pascha, a Pascha that is Christ the Redeemer, an unblemished Pascha, a great Pascha, a Pascha of the faithful, a Pascha that has opened for us the gates of Paradise, a Pascha that makes all the faithful holy. This hymn is [...]

Dismissal Hymn of the Feast of the Circumcision of Our Lord – January 1st   «Μορφὴν ἀναλλοιώτως ἀνθρωπίνην προσέλαβες, Θεὸς ὢν κατ᾽ οὐσίαν πολυεύσπλαγχνε Κύριε· καὶ Νόμον ἐκπληρῶν περιτομήν, θελήσει καταδέχει σαρκικήν, ὅπως παύσῃς τὰ σκιώδη, καὶ περιέλῃς τὸ κάλυμμα τῶν παθῶν ἡμῶν. ∆όξα τῇ ἀγαθότητι τῇ σῇ· δόξα τῇ εὐσπλαγχνίᾳ σου· δόξα τῇ ἀνεκφρράστῳ Λόγε συγκαταβάσει σου.»   "Without change you took a human form, by nature being God, O most compassionate Lord; and fulfilling the Law, you willingly accepted circumcision in the flesh, that you might banish shadows, and strip away the covering of our passions. Glory to [...]

From the Compline Service to our Guardian Angel «Ἅγιε Ἄγγελε, ὁ ἐφεστὼς τῆς ἀθλίας μου ψυχῆς καὶ ταλαιπώρου μου ζωῆς...» “Holy Angel, overseer of my wretched soul and miserable life…”   In the daily cycle of prayers in the Orthodox Church, there exist the services of the Great and Small Compline (απόδειπνο), which are performed after the evening meal and before the nightly sleep. The Great Compline (Μέγα Απόδειπνο) is usually performed in our Churches during the weekdays of Great Lent. The Small Compline can be performed in Church with a priest, however its structure lends itself to being performed [...]

Katavasia 9th Ode: Elevation of the Cross Μυστικῶς εἶ Θεοτόκε Παράδεισος, ἀγεωργήτως βλαστήσασα Χριστόν, ὑφ' οὗ τὸ τοῦ Σταυροῦ, ζωηφόρον ἐν γῇ, πεφυτούργηται δένδρον· δι᾿ οὗ νῦν ὑψουμένου, προσκυνοῦντες αὐτὸν σὲ μεγαλύνομεν. Mystic Paradise are you, O Mother of God, who untilled brought forth Christ, who planted on the earth the life-giving Tree of the Cross. And so as it is raised today, we worship it and magnify you. Our Most Holy Mother of God is described in many patristic writings and hymns as the Paradise from which Christ came forth. In this ninth ode of the καταβασίες of the [...]